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In the 1630s in Holland, tulips were a relatively new flower. (The first tulips came to Europe from Turkey in 1554.) The flowers were perceived as a luxury, so they were in high demand across Europe and there was a limited supply. In the mid-1630s, speculation entered the market. The price for tulips began to […]

Global stocks climbed 2.0% during November to continue what has been a stellar 2017 for equities. U.S. stocks also had a strong month, with the S&P 500 Index returning 3.1%, putting it up 20.5% year to date as markets continue to post record highs. Economy U.S. real GDP growth for the third quarter was revised […]

Global stocks continued their upward trend, rising 2.0% in October. Strength from emerging markets (up 3.5%) continued pushing the overall segment higher. Year-to-date, international stocks in aggregate led U.S. stocks. International bonds had a favorable return of 0.8%, while U.S. bonds remained flat. Global REITs pulled back during the month, while commodities, managed futures, and […]

Tax filing season is fast approaching and with that will come another barrage of attempts at tax return fraud. The attacks on your information and your refund continue at an alarming rate. To help prevent becoming a victim, it’s crucial you stay aware of possible scams and safeguard your personal information. A common scam that […]

Planning a wedding takes quite a bit of time and effort. It involves a good deal of communication to make sure everything goes smoothly on the big day. Don’t let the organization skills you developed while planning your wedding go to waste after tying the knot. Instead, re-direct them to an important part of your […]

How Do You Stack Up Against Others? Ever wonder how your finances stack up against others? Are you accumulating assets faster than your peers? How does your income compare to people with similar backgrounds? Many of us enjoy a little financial rubbernecking – luckily the Federal Reserve collects the data for us every three years […]

Charitable Giving Tax-Saving Strategies Whether you want to support the relief and recovery efforts for the victims of the recent hurricanes or support your favorite qualified charity, two lesser-known charitable giving strategies can also serve to reduce your tax liability. Most people are well aware of giving cash or a check. But there are two […]

Social Security had its start prior to August 14, 1935 when President Roosevelt signed The Social Security Act. Although it was not called Social Security at the time, Civil War Pensions were America’s first Social Security program. Over 600,000 soldiers died in the American Civil War, leaving behind hundreds of thousands of widows, orphans, and […]

Savant has always valued organizations and programs that align with our corporate values. Philanthropy is part of our culture; we believe it is good business to support the areas in which our clients, employees, and offices are located through charitable giving, corporate sponsorships, and volunteerism. One specific organization we are proud to sponsor is Badger Honor […]

Global stocks climbed 2.1% higher during September despite anxiety over the political climate in Europe and rising tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. U.S. stocks had a steady month, with the S&P 500 Index returning 2.1%, putting the S&P 500 up 14.2% year‐to‐date as markets continue to post record highs. Economy U.S. real GDP […]

Retirement plan trigger events (death, disability, separation from service, or reaching age 59 ½) come with an opportunity. If you have company stock in an employer-qualified retirement plan, you may have an opportunity to elect net unrealized appreciation (NUA), allowing you to roll your company stock into a taxable account for potential tax savings. Potential […]

Why You Need to Wipe Your Cell Phone Before You Toss it and Other Critical Cyber Hygiene Guides Pause for a moment and recall how you disposed of your last cell phone. If you didn’t wipe it before you sold, traded-in, donated or otherwise disposed of, you were handing off a gold mine for an […]